You are... Love. [Hank's Departure][c]

Subject: You are... Love. [Hank's Departure][c] Sat 16 Sep 2023 - 17:39

From his place in the sunlight that streamed through the canopies, Hank flopped down, sending a dust cloud around him and settling on the apprentices he had pulled from the camp to keep away from any distractions. What he had to say today was important and interruptions would not be tollerated until the meeting with his kits had finished.

He would speak to them in his native tongue, and he had no doubt in his mind that they would do so in return. "It's time I tell you of my homeland, so sit still and be quiet until I have finished." He eyed Wigglepaw in particular, the name given for a reason. "I was born and raised in a beautiful forest far beyond the horizon. There are two main parts our kind lived: the land within the middle of the island where trees grow ten times the size of the ones in this measly forest, and the land connected to the bluest of waters and whitest of sands." A small smile formed as he fondly recalled what would forever be just a memory. "I lived between those two main points with only a few others. The animals that live there are more wild and dangerous than anything you would ever see here; but what it lacked in safety, it made up for in keeping our bellies full and wits sharp. You four will continue to grow in both size and strength, since your blood was made for a place you and I will never be able to lay eyes on again. It saddens me greatly that you will never see such a place, nor will I ever be able to return to alongside you." He gave Crocuspaw a generous lick on the head to flatten a small bundle of hair sticking up before continuing, "But what I can share with you no matter the distance, are the ways our kind celebrates the very earth we are blessed to walk on:

The God of Life who is the Sun, the God of Death who is the Moon, and the God of Now who is a constant, represented by the world around you.

The God of Life - the Sun- is there to give your body the soul that rests within your flesh, and breathes life into everything around us.

The God of Now - just like its name sake - is with you always. It is referred to as The Now. Much like the ocean, the God of Now holds both Life and Death in it's paws. It is an entity that follows you without judgement, but it's not going to save you or guide you in any path you choose to take. It is present in the rushing of waves and the rustling of wind through leaves - a reminder that you should be thanking the God of Life for the prey you're about to eat, or the life of another you're about to take whether from battle or by mercy. These small thanks may put in a good word for you for a good afterlife when Death comes stalking your way.

Now, the God of Death - the Moon - is only present when either your own soul or the soul of another is ready to rejoin the earth and be born anew. Do not be fearful when his scent is present; he will never take a life that wasn't meant to be taken. Such is life. Such is death."

A gentle sigh left the large red tom as he met each and every one of his kits with his own amber eyes: Turtlepaw, Wigglepaw, Crocuspaw, and Vinepaw. It was a lot all at once, he understood that. But he couldn't continue to stalk this small patch of land for much longer. His companions already met with their own fates, and he would not stick around to meet with Death within a forest he did not love; the climate here would be suitable for his mixed blood kits, but not for a cat of full 'feral' blood like Sleet, Aurelia, and himself. "I can see you all bursting with questions, so you may now ask away."

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You are... Love. [Hank's Departure][c] 13770

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Subject: Re: You are... Love. [Hank's Departure][c] Sun 1 Oct 2023 - 20:39

Crocuspaw wasted no time in flopping against her dad as he settled down, securing the best spot and wiggling under one of his paws. A heavy thrum of a purr, loud and clear almost drowned her dad's words from her ears. The steady rumbling, deep and comforting of her dad's voice as he spoke of the Sun, and Moon, and Now, enthralled the young she-cat as she listened, softly giggling as her dad smoothed down one of her head tufts that in her transition into 'teenagerhood' refused to lie flat.

It was confusing because she had heard so much of Starclan, of the dead family that she could see again, but the tales of her dad did not provide such comfort that the clan-cats religion had. But would she truly see her family again? "Clan religion says that when they die, they go join the stars, and can be seen again after death. Is that possible with... with us?" Crocuspaw mewed meekly. The Sun and Moon and Now felt comforting, that they would always be there to watch and embrace her and comfort her. But was it naive to wish to see her loved ones after death? "Can... Can we have both? Or is that... is that... not good?" Crocuspaw looked away uncomfortably, her purring ceasing her anxieties as she idly played with her dads toes, her small ears flat against her head. "I just. I just want to see Auntie Aurelia and Sleet again..." Her fur was growing hot from her own worry, what if she was being blasphemous? Or disloyal? Would her dad be mad?

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You are... Love. [Hank's Departure][c] Dfdosgv-70e9318b-eb4f-43c6-9628-3bb18010e426.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzgyMmY1OGNhLWMyNjAtNDQzYy1iZDIyLWVhNGZiODYxMjFhOFwvZGZkb3Nndi03MGU5MzE4Yi1lYjRmLTQzYzYtOTYyOC0zYmIxODAxMGU0MjYucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0

Nightstalker Tier 5 Warrior of Shadowclan
70 HP / 160 SP

Subject: Re: You are... Love. [Hank's Departure][c] Wed 4 Oct 2023 - 12:18

Wigglepaw

Gender: Male
Rank: Apprentice

("Feral Language")
("Forest Language")

Wigglepaw padded along behind his father, his shoulder fur nearly brushing his sister's as they went. Just as he began to wonder how long they would continue walking, Hank flopped onto the dry earth, sending a cloud of dust into the brown apprentice's face. His nose wrinkled with distaste before an indignant sneeze erupted from him. Clearing his throat, Wigglepaw quickly moved to Hank's side, shooting a playful glare toward Crocuspaw's as he went for taking the prime cuddle position.

It didn't really matter though, as long as he got to spend time with dear-ole-dad, he was happy. Slumping onto the ground with a huff, the young tom nuzzled into Hank's side, rubbing his cheek into the much larger tom's shoulder. The familiar rumble of the feral tom's voice brought a sense of calm over Wigglepaw, who had always enjoyed listening to the soothing tones of their native tongue. For a moment, his chest tightened. Would they get into trouble for speaking their language? Surely not...no other cat was around. Besides, it was really only Cloudychase who scolded him.

Muscles relaxing, the dark-eyes tom peered up at his father, pupils wide as he spoke of their homeland and all of the things he had been yearning to learn. He ducked his head at Hank's look and licked awkwardly at his chest fur. What? He could pay attention just fine! As Hank continued, Wigglepaw found himself imagining the island his father had once called home, his mind racing with questions already. A pang of sadness crept into his heart, though, at the wistful expression on Hank's face. He must miss his home a lot...it had to be very far away if it was truly not possible to return there. Either that, or it was just too dangerous.

His fur prickled with excitement at the mention of the Gods of life, death, and now. Shifting, Wigglepaw cast his gaze up toward the sun which warmed his fur and lit the forest during the day. The moon, though invisible at the moment, had its own special sort of beauty...but were they really as powerful as Hank described? And the God of Now...was it more powerful than the other two? Why hadn't Hank told them all of this sooner? He had so many questions!

Crocuspaw beat him to it, though, and he scarcely waited for her to finish speaking before launching into his own line of questioning. "Yeah! Do we go up to the stars too? Where does The God of Death take us when it's our time?" His mind wandered to the rest of Thunderclan and their mother, who'd died moons ago, and he frowned. "A-And, can we communicate with the Gods and the dead like how the clans communicate with Starclan?"

Wigglepaw tipped his head to the side. There was so much still that he didn't understand! How did they celebrate the gods and the earth - were there customs he needed to know? "What else should we do? And if the God of Death is the moon, why does he get smaller and bigger all of the time?" Wigglepaw hesitated after a moment, suddenly wondering if asking all of these questions was insulting.

Subject: Re: You are... Love. [Hank's Departure][c] Mon 23 Oct 2023 - 22:28

Vinepaw wiggled his ears in annoyance, leaning into his father's flank. "Why even bother with StarClan? They send lightning down from the sky whenever they're upset, trying to kill those that don't fulfill their every whim... Doesn't sound very appealing."

Hank understood his children's worries, giving each a quick lick behind the ears in comfort. "If you have pleased the Now while living, then you are granted rebirth when Death greets you, should you so choose. Otherwise you will be greeted in Gekala - an eternal afterlife - by family and friends, where you will stalk the most beautiful forest you have ever laid eyes on, and is abundant with prey and you will feel no sickness or pain again. However, you will not be able to see the souls of lost loved ones while living; the most they can give you are small hints that they are watching you from beyond." It would be a lie to say he believed that the forest cats truly saw their ancestors simply by touching their noses to a stone. It was more likely that the long trip there - along with the herbs they took beforehand - played into vivid hallucinations. However, his children were valid in their questions and he would not poison their young minds into believing in something without the opportunity to choose. His eyes narrowed at the rudeness Vinepaw showed his siblings, a low growl his first and final warning towards the young tom.

At the mention of his companions, one of Hank's ears flipped back. While they hadn't been the best of friends, their loss was felt each day that followed their deaths. He knew they were flourishing in the afterlife - among the ranks of Gekala - but that did not mean he couldn't mourn them. "I will not push you in any direction, but I can't lie to you and say that gods aren't fickle beasts that are fond of sharing." He paused, trying to find a good way to explain this to children. "Imagine another clan wanted you to join their ranks, but you also wanted to stay a part of ThunderClan. It would be hard to trust someone who can't choose one life to live, especially if a war were to break out between the shared clans. They will want your undivided attention, or they will not want you at all. You have free will to choose who you will follow: StarClan or Gekala, but you will be expected to choose one or the other in the end."

Now the question of the moon's cycle was a much easier one. "It has been passed down that the full moon is when Death is at his strongest, collecting souls that are ready to depart. And when he is at his weakest - no souls waiting on him - he rests by growing smaller."

One of the son's of Hank quivered beside the large red tom, already soaking up the religion he now had a name for: Gekala. Every word that rumbled from his father's chest inspired him and fostered his love for those three gods and the promised afterlife that sounded so much better than walking in stardust. He had made his choice even before this, but now he would never waver. "Dad, I can promise you now that I will be hunting with you in Gekala one day. I swear it on my life!" A purr vibrated the toms ears as he boldly looked into his father's eyes with a smile. "You guys will come with us, right?" He peered over his father's arm to look at each of his siblings. Surely they would agree?

The feral tom purred, the rumble making the earth shake under him. Whether or not his children chose to meet him again in Gekala, he would love them regardless. And this decision was one he made long ago, before they were even thought of. "I have nothing left to teach you. I leave your choices up to you and you alone. Think it over carefully so that you don't have any regrets. Now-" He stood, minding the young cats that leaned against him as he did. "It's about time you returned to the camp and finished up any chores you have left; your mentor's are probably looking for you now. Be kind and thoughtful to those around you, and do not forsake your bloodline." Hank gave one final nuzzle to each of his children, knowing full well his actions today will cause them pain for the rest of their lives. But the mountain's called his name and the sun was beginning to fall. He would sit and wait for Turtlepaw, Vinepaw, Crocuspaw, and Wigglepaw to disappear behind the camps wall before turning his back on the forest entirely.

Unequipped for the harsh climate of the mountains, Hank would freeze to death before ever reaching their peak.

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won't you shake a poor sinners hand?:

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